The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-05-25
DISCHARGED.
No Evidence Produced Against the
Alleged Counterfeiters.

The Municipal Court room was filled with
curious throng yesterday morning to hear
the proceedings in the alleged counterfeiting
case. But the prisoners were not brought
up. Marshal Hawkes., County Attorney
Seiders and United States Marshal Harmon
occupied the Marshal's private office. and
for an hour and half looked over all the
papers and other documentary matter that
had been found in the prisoners possession,
examined several of the prisoners singly,
and finally came to the conclusion that what
ever their suspicious might be, there was
not particle of eviden e to hold them on,
and accordingly they were discharged.
While the discussion was going on in the
Marshaps office, Mr. Steinberg, with his
counsel, Mr. George f. Townshend, occu-
pied the outer office. Steinberg laughed and
chatted with the reporters, but underneath
his gay banter he was was evidently i'll at
ease. Whether this was the anxiety of an
honest man who fears unknown trouble in
strange place, or whether it proceeded from
other causes no one knows but himself.
Stein0erg said that one of his men, called
by him Cohny-evidently a nickname
made the acquaintance of a countryman at
the Eagle House, and Sunday morning he
found him talking with the countryman.
Cohny told Steinberg that the countryman
said he could buy clothes cheaper in New
York than in Portland; that the next time
he wanted to buy hundred dollars worth
of goods he would go on to New York and
save fifty dollars by buying them there. He
had once bought suit that costs $3.50 in
Portland for 81 in New York. He
wanted information where to buy five
and ten-cent goods in New York,
and Steinberg told him. Steinberg
said he tried to sell aim soap but failed.
Finally Cohny asked permission to play
joke on the countryman-who was the man
Carpenter from Bethel. Steinberg consent
ed Then Cohny took Carpenter to his
room and asked him if he wanted to make
money quick and was not particular about
the method. Carpenter replied favorably,
provided the method was safe. Then it was
that Cohney offered 10 sell Carpenter 'green
| good" -eounterfeit bills-at the rate of $500
| for 800. Then it was that at Cohney's re-
quest Steinberg took hand in the joke. The
programme was carried out in regard to an
interview between Steinberg and True as
has already been published. Steinberg says
he showed True a dollar bill, and True said
''he'd be fool enough to take just such
BILL" Steinberg said he would also, and
that the government and banks took it, To
keep up the joke he agreed to sell him the
money on Wednesday.
A soap manufacturer told reporter for
the PRESS that there are lots of soap, APP
parently like that these men are selling, sold
over the country. The leaders in the opera
tion got some factory to compound cheap
soap of 100 pounds soap chips, 100 pounds
ammonia and 500 pounds of water. This
composition gives 1000 pounds of soap. The
cost Of soap, freight and truckage. with the
30 per cent. commission for selling, on the
sixteen bars given away with the ''puritine"
at cost of one dollar, is GA cents, leaving So
cents for the principal. OF course the town
is worked as rapidly as possible so as to get
out of it before the poor quality of the soap
| is discovered.
| The "soap men" have not yet left town,